1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to wall constructions, and more particularly refers to a common area separation wall structure for separating adjacent occupancy areas having means provided for preventing the spread of a fire originating in one occupancy area to the adjacent occupancy area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The rising cost of building materials, labor, and mortgage interest is rendering it ever increasingly difficult for the average person to buy or rent an individual home. As a result, multiple unit dwellings such as apartments, townhouses, and condominiums have enjoyed increasing popularity and may in the future substantially replace the individual home as a dwelling place for low and middle income, and to some extent high income families. In spite of offering such real advantages in savings, multiple occupancy dwellings suffer the disadvantage of having common area separation walls between adjacent occupancy areas. The presence of such common wall structures increases the danger that a fire originating in one occupancy unit may spread through the common area separation wall structure to an adjacent occupancy unit.
In order to prevent the spreading of a fire from one occupancy unit to another, it has become conventional to utilize a masonry fire barrier within each common wall. This structure has reduced the hazard of fire spreading from one unit to another. However, it is very heavy and expensive to build, and building is invariably halted during inclement weather.